Chapter 2: Our Stars Have Fallen
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
THIS CHAPTER HAS BEEN EDITED! PLEASE REREAD THIS!
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
"Absence and death are the same - only that in death there is no suffering."
- Theodore Roosevelt
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Jane's thirteenth year
"What was it that you wished to discuss, my Jane?" Odin hesitantly asked as he strolled through the family gardens with the young princess.
Jane brushed her fingers through her long brown hair nervously, but took a breath and decided to bluntly reply, "I wish to visit Midgard."
The king glanced down at the budding young woman in outrage, "Absolutely not."
The girl scrunched her features together in reluctant resistance. Balling her fists and placing them on her hips, Jane drew her head back, "Why not?"
The old ruler slammed his staff against the hard stone floor where he stood. They were surrounded with flowers of Loki and Frigga's choosing, lush shades of violets, crimsons, and blues framed their position. The young princess then lifted her brow as if to challenge her king. When his expression slackened, she opened her mouth to speak, but he held a single finger against her thin lips, shaking his head, "No, Jane. You are just a child. And on top of that, you have not responded to the gifts I instilled within you when you became my daughter."
"That doesn't matter! I want to go; I have to go!" she choked. Her eyes were dewy with a fresh bouquet of tears.
Odin exhaled, "Why must you go? What is there that is so urgent?"
The girl bit her lip apprehensively, "I cannot tell."
"Your own father? What is there that cannot be shared?" Odin retorted hastily.
"You wouldn't understand. There's no way I could explain my feelings without hurting you or Frigga," the thirteen-year-old quickly replied, almost choking on her own words.
The king bore a patient and light expression regarding his youngest child. "Try your best," he encouraged.
Jane bit her lip and reached for his hands gently. Her hands were so small in comparison to his. "You know that I will never not appreciate all that you have done for me since I came here. I will be forever indebted to you and Frigga. I love you both so dearly. You gave me a family, happiness, and safety. All things I never dreamed about as a child.
"But you can never know how big the hole is in my heart knowing there is a part of my life I can never experience. My parents are the worst, but I have questions only they can answer. I wonder if they think about me ever. I fear that my life was all an accident and that I really shouldn't exist at all. However, most of all, I am afraid of a man that I don't know. I see him in my sleep or when I close my eyes.
"With each passing year, my memories slip away, and in time, they'll be gone. Nevertheless, I will always be fearful of that man. I need closure. I need it so badly that it's all I can think about. Please let me go?" Jane pleaded.
Odin knelt down on one knee and shook his head slowly. He brought her in his arms and cradled her neck with his palm, "Listen well, child, I will never let him harm you. You must understand that I cannot allow you to venture near that monster."
Jane pushed him away and stomped her feet against the marble under her feet, "I'm thirteen! You allow Thor and Loki to venture to far off places. They get to find adventure and bravery, while you keep me here locked away in the highest tower? It's not fair, Odin! Am I your keepsake or your prisoner? I'm surely not your daughter..."
Odin delicately grabbed the girl, bringing her closer to him again, "Jane, you must never say such things! Do you understand? This is precisely why I cannot allow you to leave Asgard. You are too young in your head!"
The girl violently shook her head, "Was I too young to nearly be violated by my biological father? When will I be free to decide what to do with my own life?"
Briefly, the king of Asgard dug his nails in the fabrics of her periwinkle clothes, causing her to wince. When he saw her discomfort, he eased his inner tension, "You'll be wise and not compare me to that monster, Jane. You're no more a prisoner here than you are my sons: your brothers! You must be protected at all costs for my sake. Until your abilities shape, I will not stand for you to be placed in danger."
"You know that's not fair! Loki and Thor have had eons to develop their talents! I've only been here for eight years!" she bickered.
Odin let her go and reached for her hands calmly. "Young Jane, please understand my decision," he quietly told her as he walked away from her.
Jane lifted the back of her hand to her mouth in disbelief, her shoulders heaving. Her eyes glistened, but she would not allow her eyes to weep.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Jane's sixteenth year
The sound of music could be heard echoing from the main chamber of the palace to the last breeches of the city. Smiles, laughter, and dancing embroidered the mood of all of Asgard. Not only did those of the highest prestige and valor attend, but also the common folk. The occasion was Jane's birthday. She was now sixteen years old, and, as a public figure embedded into everyone's admiration, Jane was now one of the most eligible young prospects for marriage in the realm.
Being only sixteen, many young men had come in hopes to achieve her affections. In addition, the very girl could find no easy way to politely refuse every marriage prospect she gained with each dance the music led her through.
The princess of Asgard was adorned with the rarest of gems and the most precious of fabrics. Yet, the only adornment the realm truly admired was her chestnut hair that draped over her shoulders in curls, tight helixes that seemed to flow as softly as water within a river. The top layers of her hair were tightly confined to a headpiece that extended out into feathers about six inches.
The color of her long, lustrous locks was a rarity among the vast shades of ebony and blond. Although her face was lightly dusted in the most fashionable of makeup, she still appeared quite natural. Her skin was vastly more delicate than the ladies of the court, simply because most of the other ladies had seen at least one battle in their plethora of centuries of life.
Put simply, Jane was the catch of the occasion. She wanted no part in the title coveted by her peers.
Her attire was not of big skirts or top-heavied adornment. The gown she wore was embellished by the same silver chest armor her mother, Frigga, wore on a day-to-day basis. As a standing of tradition, the ladies of the crown wore silver, while the men tended to wear gold. Occasionally silver was indeed thrown over their under clothes as a matter of fashion, instead of purpose.
The color of the fabrics was appreciated only by her father, Thor, and her mother. While Jane personally admired olives, lavenders, and opals, the stern majority of her family desired her to equip harsher colors, such as maroons, oranges, and pinks, which were the color scheme of her current dress. In her personal opinion, she felt the colors clashed too roughly against her medium, tanned skin tone.
Jane quickly recalled the expression her older brother, Loki, displayed as she slowly crept down the grand staircase of the residential suites of the palace. His brows had furrowed together, eyes narrowing displeasingly, and stature immediately straightening. She knew of his displeasure toward her. He'd never quite been nice, nor caring regarding his makeshift younger sister.
When asked about her, he'd usually retort with a quick, "She's not my sister."
A piece of her felt horrid to make him be here this wondrous, yet lonesome night. Another piece of her felt out of place. Although she knew the Asgardian customs, culture, and lifestyle, Jane always thought of her biological parents back on earth.
Perhaps she had brothers and sisters. Perhaps they would have sobered up eventually. Perhaps her mother finally left her father and found happiness? Did either of them think of her or where she was? Had they ever loved her at all?
Her quaint, feigned smile eventually slackened as she rounded the corner of the balcony overlooking the city outside. It was dark, but not quite late. She wanted nothing more than to speak with Loki, but she would not wish to inconvenience him. Perhaps he'd have a new novel for her? She found herself most eager to see his gift, but didn't know why.
Ever since her fourteenth year, her opinion of Loki had drastically changed. Once, he was her brother. Now, he was a stranger: someone foreign to her. She hadn't known when precisely things had changed: only that they had. Jane folded her hands together behind her back as she leaned against the massive wall. The music was muffled out where space and time ceased to matter.
Only months ago had she shown signs of possessing any abilities. A nearby garden rested to her left. The young girl travelled the quick distance to the patch and kneeled down before it. Extending her hand, she waved her hand over the budding flowers, the buds blooming instantly. A sharp smile grazed her thin, tight lips.
Softly, she chuckled. Although not nearly as capable as destructive as Thor, nor nearly as deceitful as Loki, Jane's abilities allowed her to rush life in nature and in people. She'd only recently discovered that she could heal others. Though she was quite bad at anything bigger than a simple scratch, Jane knew that with practice, she would one day be able to heal others fully. At least she hoped.
Maybe then would she be allowed to visit Midgard.
With the lingering pain of her past, Jane's eyes saddened. "As long as Odin remains king, I'll never go anywhere."
"Well, as it remains to be seen, in just a few more years, father will be naming an heir," a dominant, male voice cooed from just behind her.
Jane gasped, her hand moving over her chest armor as if the gesture would calm her rapid heartbeat. "Loki?"
"Indeed," he replied quickly, moving away from her as she stood. His expression still appeared lame, decisively calculated.
Swallowing, the young girl stepped forward so he would hear her hushed tone, "I've not seen you nearly all night. Why did you sneak up on me?"
He lifted a brow as if the question went deeper than her intentions. "I'm always sneaking around, aren't I?"
"Never toward me. You've not actually initiated conversation with me in nearly four years, if I remember correctly," she hastily countered, suspicious.
"Stop asking questions and hush. I actually came to deliver your gift from me. Although I normally try to avoid such trivialities, I assumed that since this night was among the biggest occasions in your short life thus far, I should allowance you with at least one trinket from me," he said incredibly passive, authoritative. A wave of his arrogant demeanor washed over Jane, nearly drowning her completely.
"I wish you'd like me, Loki. I fear we'd get along quite well. I'm not here to replace you or your standing with Odin and Frigga. I'm unsure of the reason that you must find me so unbearable, but whatever I did, please accept my sincerest apologies," Jane confidently spoke.
He stood before her and looked down at her hand, grasping it in his own and lifting his other hand. He allowed an object to fall just before it touched her exposed palm. Upon a silver chain, a golden pendant hung. As he lowered the apparatus into her hand, she quickly saw that the pendant was in the shape of an upside-down triangle.
Before she could fully inspect his gift, he cleared his throat quietly, "The metal matches the material used for my armor. In my last venture into the nine realms, my opponent ruined the left horn of my helmet. Unfortunately, I had my smith tailor it down to match once more. In that experience, I also asked him to shape the scrap pieces into your pendant."
Her eyes feasted over the artifact in wonder. This was the single most beautiful thing anyone could have ever gifted to her. Although she was happy, he must have misunderstood her concentrated expression for disproval.
"You do not like it," he stated in blatant anger.
She erratically shook her head, "No! I was only admiring it! You have no idea what this means to me, Loki. Everyone has only given me jewels or silks. You're the only one to be so thoughtful. It surprised me that something like this would come from someone like you."
Briefly, a small smile lifted from the edges of his mouth. The gesture was quickly swapped by a hardened, arrogant smirk. "No one else has nearly enough sense to know you."
"But you don't know me at all, Loki."
His artificial smirk lowered, as if he'd said something incredibly wrong and only just realizing it. He glanced away toward the opening of the ball carrying on from within. Eventually turning back to gaze over her, he placed his hands over her shoulders and spun her around so that her back was toward him. "Lift your hair."
She complied with his request.
"Hold still while I attach this around your neck. Good girl," he mentioned in the uncomfortable silence settled between them. Upon the clasp successfully linking with the other side of the chain, he lowered his hands back onto her shoulders, gripping lightly. She noticed his hands were shaking. About to turn back around to see if he was all right, his grip tightened, "Don't turn around. Hold still, Jane. Do not move."
"...Fine," she agreed, wishing for nothing more than to run back into the ball for safety. She had never known him to be so affectionate toward her: giving her gifts, touching her so.
"You are right in your previous assumption. I do not like you, Jane. I've never liked you. I cannot say I ever shall," he whispered into her ear, which caused her to shiver lightly. With her breath caught, she realized she could not reply. In addition, although his touch was cool, she was frightened to realize she didn't want him to leave her.
Eventually, she braved a small reply, "Why?"
His fingers lamely moved over her back until his thumb rested at the top of her spine over her exposed skin. With her hair split over her shoulders, his thumb dominated over the flesh until she felt him lean over and kiss the very spot. The act was gentle, emotional, and completely intimate.
Jane instantly glanced over her shoulder to investigate what was going on, only her jaw was claimed by his hand and her lips by his. Her eyes instantly widened as she froze. His free hand moved to the opposite shoulder, guiding her to turn around toward him again. After she settled in a position pleasing enough for him, Loki pulled her closer and pushed her against the massive structure of the palace.
Jane had no idea what to do. Shock was still washing over her bones in a clamor of waves too forceful for her to even breathe. Her eyes closed, and she moaned quietly. Upon hearing the sound, he moved his arms around her and cradled her neck possessively. Awkwardly, she raised her arms so that she could hold onto his shoulders for dear life.
Sensations quaked through her. Emotions she could not understand ebbed through her veins. The very depth of her soul was being maneuvered out of her very skin. Just as he deepened their kiss, he pulled away and shoved himself away from her in a rapid, unexpected movement.
Her chest heaved rapidly. Her eyes opened, seeing his fingers move over his lips quickly. His eyes never left hers. In another hasty movement, he brushed his lips across her forehead and finally brought his lips over hers gently.
Lifting himself off her only an inch, he quietly ordered, "If you wish to know me, then wear this pendant every day until your eighteenth year. Every day, Jane. It cannot ever leave your chest. I've waited for you for so long, and now I'm asking you to wait for me."
Jane lifted her hand to move over his cheek just as he was about to retreat, "What do you mean? What does this mean?"
"Time will tell, Jane. For now, I must go before anyone notices I've left," he added, breathless.
"No, don't leave me yet."
For a fragment of a moment, Jane saw Loki's smile. His hands grasped her jaw tenderly as he shook he head, "Oh, Jane. You'll never be rid of me."
As the words left his mouth, he pulled away from her and walked without looking back.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Breviary-Rose
